Blurb: The perfect recipe for hygge this autumn: make a hot chocolate, draw the curtains, snuggle under a blanket and read your way to happiness!
It’s autumn in Yulethorpe and everyone is gloomy. It’s cold, drizzly and the skies are permagrey. The last shop on the high street – an adorable little toy shop – has just shut its doors. Everything is going wrong for Yulethorpe this autumn. Until Clara Kristensen arrives.
Clara is on holiday but she can see the potential in the pretty town, so she rolls up her sleeves and sets to work. Things are looking up until Joe comes to Yulethorpe to find out exactly what is going on with his mother’s shop. Joe is Very Busy and Important in the City and very sure that Clara is up to no good. Surely no one would work this hard just for the fun of it?
Can a man who answers emails at 3 a. m. learn to appreciate the slower, happier, hygge things in life – naps, candles, good friends and maybe even falling in love?
Review: Firstly anyone who knows me knows I simply cannot resist anything written by Rosie Blake ever since I devoured How To Get A Love Life I have literally been blown away by every single novel. I must admit the day this pinged through to my Kindle I was reading a few other books. Both of which are excellent and will be read and reviewed but for some reason it just wasn’t flowing for me. I have been feeling so so in my own day to day and I haven’t had as much time to read – which sucks as I am always at my happiest whilst my head is stuck in a novel. I love escaping to a whole new world and as ever Rosie has managed to hook me in from the get go once again. Although in some ways I am pleased that I managed to long this book out as I was so sad to see it go but I do feel like this book not only let me escape it also made me think….in an extremely good way.
what is Hygge? It’s a Danish word for a quality of cosiness, feeling warm, comfortable and safe that comes from doing simple thins such as lighting candles, baking, or spending time at home with your family enjoying simple pleasures and indulgences. The high season of hygge is Christmas, when the Danes don’t hold back with the candles and mulled wine.
What Clara teaches us in this story is that it doesn’t have to be the festive season to appreciate the simple pleasures and to take more time for us. I wouldn’t say I work as manic as Joe does in this story but I do wholeheartedly believe we should all make more time for ourselves. As I say I do read but do I always make time for me no? No I don’t.
If you are looking for the perfect Autumnal read then look no further it’s not quite Christmas but it has the gorgeous cosy aspect from the very beginning when Clara is sat in the cosy corner of the pub minding her own business with a drink and her head in the book and her life changes. Clara is a positively optimistic young woman with her own troubles but seeing a scene unfold in the pub between Louisa and Roz she realises she has her work cut out for her. Yulethorpe is a gorgeous little town with lots of potential but when Clara stumbles across it it’s at it’s lowest ebb with many shops closing and not a coffee shop in sight. When Louisa decides to leave it all and go to Spain she leaves Clara in charge of the Toy Shop her home and her pets – Lady Caca (the greatest parrot ever) the movie and show lines had me laughing and crying it seemed bittersweet to hear Brucie’s favourite catch phrases among others.
Clara is such a creative person that she soon changes the town and peoples perceptions. She transforms the Toy shop, the local pub and even manages to calm a workaholic in Joe. From the get go Joe is wary as he worries about his mother – but I loved the sudden shift in him and you could see the friendship between Clara and Joe was slowly blossoming. I love how Clara managed to show a number of people that not everyone is out for themselves – showing that there really are some good eggs in the world amongst the bad.
I loved Gavin, Louisa, Clara and Joe so much and turning the final page had me aching for more. I wanted to know more about all of them and how their happy ever afters unfolded. Another gorgeous book from Rosie and one that will stay with me forever more. I even managed to find a book on Hygge that I hope to devour and review at a later date. Watch this space…
I just wanted to add a side note here I have been reading as much as I can but I must admit my reviews haven’t been as prompt as I would like. I hope to be more back on track this week including a Wandering Wednesday and a Friend Friday piece. And if I get a chance another beauty post….do feel free to get in touch I love connecting with other bookish people…until next time…:)
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